Shopping cart

“I never left my hope”, said Gina Bennet, specialist in Counter terrorism at the CIA, who took part of the debate at the Estoril Conferences 2017 on “Migration is a Security Issue”.

Bennett, author of “National Security Mom: Lessons for America, explained that “terrorists wish to heart people in the public domain”.“I’d rather work towards idealism to let myself be defeated by hate. In her opinion, there is always “a choice between let ourselves be taken over by fear or win by facing challenges.”Felipe Pathé Duarte, an expert in jihadism and researcher pointed out to the fact that many terrorist attacks are perpetrated by European citizens, sons and daughters of second generation migrants and that, not feeling integrated in their own societies, join terrorist organizations. Pathé Duarte is the author of “Global Jihadism: From words to action”Jeff Crisp, former responsible of the Center for Development Studies on Refugees at Oxford University, said “instead of denigrate the Asylum concept; we should celebrate millions of lives the concept has allowed to be saved throughout the years.”Mario Andreoti, Chief of Office for the Greek city of Lesbos Mayor, reminded the audience about the importance of one concept: Solidarity. “People in Lesbos transformed the island in a port of European solidarity. With the help of volunteering work, we are being able to manage the crisis.”

The Estoril Conferences initiative (now in its 5th year) has become a dialogue cluster for leaders, thinkers and opinion makers from around the world, aimed at responding to issues related to Globalization. The Estoril Conferences are organized by the Estoril Institute for Global Dialogue, with the support of the Cascais Municipality and of the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic. The 2017 edition takes place between May 29th and 31th, at the Estoril Congress Center, in Cascais.